Shirring attachment



Oct. 6, 1931. SEA-MAN 1,825,758

SHIRRING ATTACHMENT Filed Dec. 24, 1927 1 Z SheetS-Sheet 1 Oct. 6, 1931. c. SEAMAN 1,825,758.

SHIRRING ATTACHMENT Filed Dec. 24, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 the needle of the sewing machine, so that the Patented 'Oct. 6, 1931 PATENT OFFICE CHARLES SEAMAN, OF HOLLIS, NEW YORK SHIRRING ATTACHMENT Application filed December 24,- 1927. Serial No. 242,508.

The present invention relates to sewing machine attachments, and particularly to such attachments designed for shirring or rufiiing material being applied or stitched to other material.

Heretofore, it has been the practice generally to shirr or ruffle material by a blade or attachment operated in advance of the feeding means of a sewing machine, and such devices are usually limited in their operation and often require changes and alterations in the sewing machine.

The object of the present invention is to provide an attachment constructed and designed to deliver a ruflie strip or material to be shirred to the usual feeding means of a sewing machine in such a manner and under such conditions that said feeding means rufiles or shirrs the material and delivers other cloth or material in a manner that will permit the rufiled material to be stitched either to the folded edge of said cloth or to the body portion thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide an attachment which can be readily applied to and removed from the standard type of sewing machine without any change or alteration in the machine.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of means to regulate the position of the main presser foot with respect to the feeding means of the usual machine so as to control the degree of shirring or rufiling desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide an attachment having adjustable means to shift the rufile. material with respect to ruflle material may be stitched to the body material at any point between the edges of the former, thus permitting the widths of the heading of the rufiles to be varied.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an attachment having an auxiliary presser foot to overlie and engage theforward portion of the feeding means of a sewing machine in advance of the main presser foot thereof, and means for guiding ruflie material under said auxiliary presser foot,

mounting said auxiliary presser foot so that i A 7 it may be bodily shifted out of the plane of said feeding means of a sewing machine.

A still further object of the invention resides in said auxiliary presser foot having an 7 edge folder mounted on its upper side, so that an edge of the body material may be folded prior to being presented under the needle.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the follow- 5 ing description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a side elevation of a sewing machine having the attachment applied thereto.

on line 22 of igure 1 so as to illustrate the position the attachment assumes on the base plate of the machine.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the attachment as generally shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an end view of a sewing machine head equipped with the invention and looking substantially from the left hand side of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a detailed view of the presser foot adjustment means.

Figure 6 illustrates the work done by the machine.

Figure 7 is an edge view of Figure 6.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 1 denotes the base plate upon which is mounted the usual sewing machine head 2, supporting a vertical reciprocating needle rod 3 actuated in any suitable manner from the pulley 4. It is understood, of course, that the needle bar 3 removably receives a needle 5. Through the eye of theneedle extends a thread 6 drawn through tension devices 7 and 8 of conventional or desirable types. The machine also includes a work feeding mechanism or feed .1

Figure 2 is a Iplan view taken substantially I i dog 9 arranged under a vertical reciprocatin main presser foot 10. The needle 5, the fee ing mechanism 9 and the presser foot 10 are common to most all sewing machines. The feeding means usually is in the form of rack or tooth bars positioned in slots 11 in the base plate and actuated by a suitable means'from the machine whereby it is alternately projected through and lowered in the slots. \Vhen projected it moves in one direction in the slots. All of this construction is usual in sewing machines and forms no part of this invention.

The present invention resides in an attachment A designed to be positioned in advance of the presser foot 10 for guiding materials under the needle and main presser foot, so that one of the materials may be acted upon by the feeding means to be shirred thereby at the time it is being stitched to the other material.

This attachment mainly consists of a frame including a base plate 12 of any suitable design or construction but is here shown as being an elongated strip of metal adapted to lie fiat against the base 1 of the sewing machine and to be removably secured thereto by a screw or thumb nut 13. There is provided a downwardly extending lug 14 on the plate to extend through an opening in the base 1 of the machine for cooperating with the fastening screw 13, so that the attachment may be properly positioned with respect to the needle 5, the feeding means 9 and the presser foot 10.

Laterally extending from the plate 12 is a rigid arm 15 upon which a spring finger 16 is horizontally pivoted. The finger 16 is preferably formed of resilient or spring metal pivoted intermediate its ends at 16a to the arm 15 and has a rearwardly extending handle-forming end 18 desi ed to enga e in a notch or recess 19 on the ar 20 lateral y extending from the plate 12 and in advance of the arm 15. The other end of the finger 16 is so formed or constructed as to extend downwardly from the pivot point 16a and has a. substantially fiat end portion forming an auxiliary presser foot 17 to overlie and bear against the teeth t of the feeding mechanism 9 in advance of the needle 5. The extremity of the auxiliary presser foot 17 is notched as at 21 and through which notch the needle 5 extends during the stitching operation. The handle portion 18 of the spring finger 16 also is formed to exert a spring tension downwardly upon the bar 20, so that the same will snap into the notch or recess 19 and be retained against accidental displacement, thus insuring the proper positioning of the notch 21 on the end of the foot 17.

As shown in the drawings, it is preferred to have the surface of the presser foot 10, which coacts with the teeth t of the feeding mechanism to terminate at a point in advance of the extremity of the auxiliary presser foot 17 as shown particularly in Figure 4.

It will be obvious, therefore, that, when the rufile material R is passed between the foot 17 and the teeth t of the feeding mechanism and the body material B is passed under the main resser foot while overlying the auxiliary oot 17, the rufile material will be kept in close contact with the teeth t and be fed at a greater speed to the needle 5 than will the body material B, resultin in the rufile material being shirred or puciered as it is being stitched to the body material. The degree of puckering or shirring can be regulated by reducing the pressure or clearance of the under face of the main presser foot upon or with respect to the teeth t. This regulation may be accomplished in any suitable manner, but as one example, a stop bar 22 is secured to the upper end of the main presser foot bar 10a, as at 40, and has a portion 41 which abuts an adjustable stop 23 threaded on a relatively fixed portion 0 the machine structure. Manifestly, the higher the bottom face of the main presser foot 10 is maintained with respect to the teeth t the greater the shirring or puckering of the ruflle material R.

In order that the ruflie material may be fed to the needle in definite relation with respect thereto, a fiat guide loop 24 is provided through which the rufile material passes, this guide having a supported arm 24a adjustabl secured to the base plate 12 of the attac ment by means of a thumb screw 25. As can be clearly seen from the drawings, the

uide 24 is adjustable across the path of the feeding movement of the rufile material R, so that the material may be shifted transversely of said path in order that the needle 5 may penetrate the same at any point transversely thereof, as ma be desired, whereby the width of the hea ing of the rufile may be increased or diminished as can be observed from Figure 6.

The auxiliary presser foot 17 has mounted thereon an edge folder 26 of the usual construction and arranged to normally align with the needle 5 and main presser foot 10. Thus, when it is desired to apply a ruffle to edge of a body fabric, the said edge is passed through said folder 26 and is delivered to the needle 5 in a folded condition. The result of this operation can be observed from the rufiie R in Figures 6 and 7, which is stitched to the folded edge 27 of the body fabric B.

When it is desired to apply a ruffle, such as R", see Figures 6 and 7, the body fabric is not passed through the folder 26, but over the same and the guide 24 is adjusted so as to give the rufile the proper or desired heading. Thus, it is obvious that the resent attachment permits the application 0 rufiies either to the edge of a body fabric or to points between its edges without any change in or adjustment of the attachment except that which may be desired to obtain a proper heading for the rufie by .means of the guide 24. i

In the operation of a machine having the attachment applied thereto, it may be desired to raise the auxiliary presser foot 17 out of engagement with the teeth of the feeding mechanism, such as may be necessary when the thread breaks or it is desired to readjust the materials being Worked upon. Various means may be provided to attain this result. In the drawings I have illustrated one modification for attaining this result. The means comprises a lever 27 pivoted intermediate its ends, as at 28, to the free end of the arm 15, and having at one end a bevel portion 29 adapted to engage the spring foot 17 at its under face and raise the same against its spring tension when the handle'27 is moved in a direction of the arrow adjacent thereto, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. This will give sufiicient clearance for-any adjustment of th fabric that may be desired.

After a. row of stitching has been made with the attachment and it is desired to remove the work from the machine, the handle 18 is raised out of the notch 19 and swung about the pivot 16a to move the spring foot 17 laterally out of the position with res ect to the feeding mechanism 9, the presser ibot l and needle and to either side thereof, as may be required or desired.

-Durin'g the sewing operation with the present invention, the body cloth B may be handied or manipulated by the operator, but the rufile strip is fed automatically from the source of supply, usually adjacent and below the machine. In order to facilitate this automatic feeding, the attachment is provided with guide and tension devices for directing the movement of the ruflle material, which devices include as arm 30 having an angular I end portion 31 adjustably mounted on the plate 12 of the attachment for adjustment longitudinallyof the machine. This arm 30 preferably extends obliquely with respect of the plate 12 and provided at its outer end with an open loop 32. The ruflie material is i first brought through the loop 32 from its source of supply and then through a guiding device 33 which diverts the direction of movement of the strip. This guiding device i consists of a bar 34 supported on the plate 12 of the attachment and extending In a plane substantially parallel with the path of movement of the material as it presser foot 10.

Associated with the bar 34am the bars 35 and 36 extending at oblique angles with respect to the bar 34 and converging and meeting at the-outer end thereof. It will thus be seen that the rufile material B being led from passes under the the loop 32 may pass over the bar 35, under the bar 34 and around the bar 36,.so that the I direction of movement of the rufile material, after passing around the bar 36, will be parallel with the movement of'the feeding means 9 of the sewing machine. The bar 36 is of a length sufficient to receive rufile strips of varying widths and to permit the shifting.

of the same relative to the feeding means of the sewing machine by adjustment of the guide 2 1. Between thebar 36 and the guide a further tension device is provided consisting of a plurality of spacedparallel reeds ori b rs 37 arranged transversely of the direction'of movement of the rufiie material It and over and through which the said material is threaded or trained. These bars 37 attachment is so constructed and designed i i that the shirred ruffles may be stitched to any point of the body material either to a folded edge thereof or at a point between the edgesof the body material without necessitating any change in'the attachment or the removal of the same from the machine, the degree of shirring or rufiling being controlled by the adjustment of the main presser foot with respect to the feeding means of the machine.

It is to be understood that, while I have shown for the purpose of illustration a selectgdembodiment of my invention, numerous changes in detail of construction, combinatlon and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the scope of,

the inventionwhich is onl intended to be limited by the appended c aims.

What is claimed is:

1'. Thercombination with a sewing machine having a single feeding dog, a presser foot and 'a'needle, of an attachment removably secured on the machine comprising sprlng finger adapted to cooperate with a portion of the feeding doghindependently of the movement ofthe presser foot, means for uiding -a rufile ,strip between said feeding 0g and finger, said finger being associated with said presserfoot so as to permit othermaterial to be fed over said finger and under said presser foot..

2. The combination with asewing machine having a single feeding dog, a presser foot and. a needle, means for vertically adjusting said presser foot to vary its effective relation with respect to thefeeding dog, of an attachment removably secured on the machine comprising a springfinger normally cooperating with the feeding dog in advance'of the needle, means for guiding a rufile strip between said feeding dog and finger, said finger being associated with said presser foot so as to permit other material to be fed over said finger and under said presser foot.

3. The combination with a sewing machine having a single feeding dog, a presser foot and a needle, ofan attachment removably secured on the machine comprising a spring finger normally cooperating. with the feeding dog in advance of the needle, means for guiding a rufile strip between saidfeeding dog and finger, said finger being associated wth said presser foot so as to permit other material to be fed over said finger and under said presser foot, anda folder on said finger ad'acent said I presser foot, whereby an edge 0 the body material may be folded in advance of the needle.

4. The combination with a sewing machine having a sigle feeding dog, a presser foot and a needle, of an attachment removably se-' cured on the machine comprising a spring finger adapted to cooperate with a portion of the feeding dog independently of the movement of the presser foot, means for delivering a rufile strip between said feeding dog and finger,-said finger being associated with said presser foot so as to permit other material to be fed over said finger and under said presser foot, and a guide through which the rufiied material passes, said guide being adjustable transversely of the path of movement of said material.

'5. The combination with a sewing machine having a single feeding dog, apresser foot and a needle, of an attachment removably secured on the machine comprising a spring finger adapted to cooperatewith a portion of the feeding dog independently of the move- ,ment of the presser foot, means for guiding a rufile strip between said feeding dog and finger, said finger being associated with said presser foot so as to permit other material to be fed over said finger and under said presser foot, and 'means for 1 raising said Zpring finger out of contact with said feeding 6. The combination with a sewing machine having a single feedin dog,a presser foot and a needle, of an attac hment removably secured on the machine comprising a spring finger adapted to coo erate with a portion of the feeding dog in e endently of the movement of the presser oot, means for aiding a' rufile strip between said feeding 0g and finger, said finger being associated with said presser foot so as to permit other material to be fed over said finger and under said presser foot, said spring finger being pivotally mounted and capable of being shifted laterally to one side of said feeding dog.

7. In a' sewing machine, a needle, a main presser foot and'asingle feeding dog under 'said needle and main presser foot, an auxiliary presser foot of resllient material POSltlOIlGCl.

over said feeding dog at a point in advance of the needle, means for securing said auxiliary presser foot in position, said auxiliary presser foot being arranged to permit the material to be fed over and under the same to a point under said needle, said main presser foot being vertically adjustable in its effective positions with respect to said feeding dog.

9. In a sewing machine a needle, a main presser foot and a single feeding do'g under said needle and presser foot, an auxiliary presser foot of resilient material adapted to cooperate with a portion of the feeding dog independently of the movement of the presser foot, means for securing said auxiliary presser foot in position, said auxiliary presser foot being arranged to permit the material to be fed over and under the same to a point under said needle, and a pivoted hand lever arranged under said auxiliary presser foot adapted'to raise the same out of engagement with said feeding dog.

10. In a sewing machine a needle, a main presser foot and a single feeding dog under said needle and main presser foot, an auxiliarypresserfootofresilientmaterialpositioned over said feeding dog at a point in advance of the needle, means for securing said auxiliary presser foot in position, said auxiliary presser foot being arranged to permit materials to be fed over and under the same to a point under. said needle, and adjustable means for varying at will the operable distance of the presser foot with respect to said feedin dog. I

11. n a sewing machine a needle, a main presser foot, a single feeding dog under said needle and main presser foot, a normally stationary auxiliary presser foot of resilient v materlal adapted to cooperate with a portion of the feeding dog independently of the movement of the presser foot, means for securing said auxiliary presser foot'in position,'said auxiliary presser foot being ar-J ranged to permit materials to be fed-over and under the same to a point under said needle, and a guide in advance of said auxiliary presser foot through which therufile material passes, said ide being adjustable transversel of the eeding dog to vary the position of the rufile material with respect to the needle.

Ian

12. A shirring attachment for sewing machines comprising a frame attachable to a machine, a spring finger mounted on the overlie a portion of a single feeding dog of the sewing machine in advance of the needle, and an edge folder mounted on said auxiliary resser foot. I

14. A s irring attachment for sewing machines comprising a frame attachable to a machine, a spring finger mounted on the frame forming an auxiliary presser foot to overlie a portion of a single feeding dog of the sewing machine-in advance of the needle, and means mounted on the frame to raise said auxiliary presser foot at will against its spring tension.

15. A shirring attachment for sewing machines comprising a frame attachable to a machine, a spring finger mounted on the frame forming an auxiliary presser foot to overlie a portion of a single feeding dog of the sewing machine in advance of the needle, said finger being laterally shiftable on said frame. I

16. A shirring attachment for sewing machines comprising a frame attachable to a machine, a spring finger mounted on the frame forming an auxiliary presser foot to overlie a portion of a feeding means of the sewing machine, a handle member on said finger operable to shift said finger laterally to various positions, a lever pivoted on the frame and having one end underlie said finger and adapted to engage and shift vertically said finger against the spring tension thereof.

17. A shirring attachment for sewing machines comprising a supporting frame including a pair of parallel arms, a resilient member pivoted intermediate its ends to one of said armsand having one end extended across the other of said arms to frictionally engage the same, the other end of said member extending downwardly and formed with a substantially flat end portion to provide an auxiliary presser foot for a sewing machine.

18. A shirring attachment for sewing machines which includes a feeding dog comprising a supporting frame including a pair of parallel arms, a resilient member pivoted intermediate its ends to one of said arms and having one end extended across the other of said arms to frictionally engage the same, the other end of said member extending downwardly and formed with a substantially flat end portion to provide an auxiliary presser foot, said presser foot being positioned in engaging relationship with a portion of the feeding dog, and a guide positioned under said member and ad ustable transversely of said frame.

19. Y A shirring attachment for sewing machines comprisin a supporting frame including a pair 0 parallel arms, a resilient member pivoted intermediate its ends to one of said arms and having one end extended across the other of said arms to frictionally engage the same, the other-end of said member extending downwardly and formed with a substantially flat end portion to provide an auxiliary presser foot for a sewing machine, a guide positioned under said mem ber and adjustable transversely of said frame,

and an edge folding device mounted on the upper surface of. said auxiliary presser foot.

20. 'A shirring attachment for sewing machines comprising a supporting frame including a pair of parallel arms, a resilient member pivoted intermediate itsends to one of said arms and having one end extended across the other of said arms to frictionally engage the same, the'other end of said member extending downwardly and formed with a substantially flat end portion to provide an auxiliary presser foot for a sewing machine, and means mounted on the frame to raise said auxiliary presser foot at will against its spring tension.

21. A shirring attachment for sewing machines which includes a feeding dog comprising a supporting frame including a pair of parallel arms, a resilient member pivoted intermediate its ends to one of said arms and having one end extended across the other of said arms to frictionally engage the same,

the other end of said member extending downwardly and formed with a substantially flat end portion to provide an auzn'liary presser foot, said presser foot being'positioned in engaging relationship with a portion of the feeding dog, a guide positioned under said guide, and a bar on the frame arranged in advance of said first guide and at an oblique angle with respect thereto, whereby the direc- .tion of movement of the material may bev directedto said first guide.

23. A shirring attachment for sewing machines comprising a frame attachable to a machine, a spring finger mounted on the frame forming an auxiliary presser foot to overlie a portion of a single feeding dog of the sewing machine in advance of the needle, means on the frame for guiding material under said presser foot, other means on the frame for initially guiding the material at substantially right angles with respect to said first guide, and a bar on the frame arranged in advance of the first guide and at an oblique angle with respect thereto, whereby the direction and movement of the material may be directed to said first guide, and a plurality of substantially parallel spaced reeds lying between said oblique bar and said first guide through which said material may be threaded.

24. In a sewing machine arrangement designed to ruffie fabrics, the combination comprising a single feeding dog, a presser foot, a needle, a spring finger positioned proximate one side of the needle and bearing against a portion of the feeding dog independently of the movement of the presser foot, whereby any fabric disposed between said spring fin ger and said feeding dog will be advanced towards the needle, said presser foot being arranged in cooperative relationship proximate the other side of the needle so as to effect a differential feeding action on both sides of said needle, and means for adjusting the position of said presser foot with respect to said feeding dog so as to obtain a selective differential feeding action on both sides of the needle.

25. In a sewing machine arrangement designed to rufiie fabrics, the combination comprising a single feeding dog, a presser foot, a needle, a finger positioned proximate one side of said needle and adapted to cooperate with a portion of the feeding dog independently of the movement of the presser foot, whereby any fabric disposed between said finger and said dog will be advanced'towards the needle, said feeding dog and said presser foot being arranged in cooperative relationship proximate the other side of the needle so as to effect a differential feeding action on both sides of said needle.

26. In a sewing machine arrangement designed to rufile fabrics, the combination comprising a feeding dog, a presser foot, a needle, a finger positioned proximate one side of said needle and adapted to cooperate with a portion of the feeding dog independently of the movement of the presser foot, whereby any fabric disposed between said needle and said feeding dog will be advanced towards the needle, said feeding dog and said presser foot being arranged in cooperative relationship proximate the other side of the needle so as to effect a differential feeding action on both sides of said needle, and means for adjusting the position of said presser foot to vary its effective relationship with respect to the feeding dog.

27. In a. sewing machine arrangement designed to rufile fabrics, the combination comprising a single feeding dog, a presser foot, a needle, a spring finger positioned proximate one side of said needle and bearing against a portion of the feeding dog independently of the movement of the presser foot, whereby any fabric disposed between said spring finger and said feeding dog will be advanced towards the needle, said feeding dog and said presser foot being arranged in cooperative relationship proximate the other side of the needle so as to effect a differential feed ing action on both sides of said needle.

In testimony whereof, I have affixed my signature to this specification.

CHARLES SEAMAN. 

